Merry Christmas Pretty Boy
by hfcmfan2013
Summary: The holidays are here and everyone is happy...except Reid. Morgan has been on a case for weeks and may not make it for Christmas. How will he cope with this possibility?
1. Chapter 1

**Here's another one shot of mine involving Reid and Morgan. Yes, it's Christmas themed and it's currently June but this popped into my head and I wasn't on here during the holiday season. Hope you all enjoy! This will probably be 2 or 3 chapters.**

-CM-

Thursday December 21

Spencer Reid sits at his desk quietly with his head down, trying with all his might to do his paperwork slowly. He tries to not hear JJ talking about what she and Will got Henry for Christmas, or what Garcia was baking to bring along to Kevin's place, or what Emily's plans are. He glances up and sees Rossi in Hotch's office, smiles on both men's faces, something seen very rarely. He hears the excitement in everyone's voices, sees it in their eyes; as they laugh he can hear their happiness not just for the holiday's but also knowing they are guaranteed time off without a chance of being called in. Reid could only wish he could share in their happiness.

Sighing he returns to the paperwork he is currently working on. As he works, he isn't aware that the women heard him sigh and are looking at him. They look at each other and don't know if they should say anything to him, not exactly knowing if anything was wrong. The team knew Reid wasn't exactly looking forward to the time off since he loved his job and it was his life, but he should have been more happy than he was acting because he and Derek-

"Oh my God, I can't believe we were so stupid," JJ says as she gets up from her seat, Garcia and Emily following close behind not knowing what it was she figured out. JJ sits on the corner of Reid's desk and taps his shoulder, Garcia and Emily right beside her.

"Spence, you ok?" JJ asks quietly. When he only nods his head she asks her next question, rubbing a hand over his back. "Have you heard from Derek at all? Any idea when he's coming home?"

Dropping his pen on his desk he places his hands on his face, rubbing his eyes. "No. I haven't heard from him since the day he left for the case. All Hotch has been able to tell me is that he's safe, he doing his job as fast as he can and he should be home soon. He just can't contact me personally because it might blow his cover."

Garcia places a hand on his shoulder. "Well that's good then, right? I know you miss him, and he misses you, but if he's coming home soon, why so glum? It's the holidays; you're supposed to be happy."

"I'd be happier if Derek would make it home for Christmas." Sighing again, he turns in his chair to face the women. As he faces them, the women can see how close he is to breaking down; tears are visible but not falling. "When Hotch spoke to the detective Derek's working with, while the mission is going well, it may not be done for another week or two. At this rate I'll be lucky to have him home for New Years."

"Oh, Baby Boy," Garcia says. She leans in and gives him a small hug, trying to hold back her own tears. She hates seeing anyone of her 'babies' upset but, just like everyone else, she had a soft spot for Reid and it hurt to see him that close to breaking down in the office for everyone to see. She knew he wasn't holding up well, no matter what he told the team. "It's going to be ok. You know Morgan; he's going to do all he can to get back home to you. He hates having to leave you alone. What are you going to do over break? Need any company?"

Sniffling and wiping his eyes he says, "I don't know what I'm going to do. Derek and I had all these plans and now they're not happening. We planned on going to his mom's house in Chicago and spending all of break there, but I just don't feel like traveling. I'm just going to sit at home with Clooney and pass the days by reading. It's what I used to do before Derek and I got together; my mom never liked to celebrate it. With her disease, she would get overwhelmed and say the government was spying on us." He looks up at Garcia and looks her in the eyes as he says, "I'll be ok, Garcia; don't worry about me. Enjoy your time off," before turning back to face his desk and back to his paperwork.

Emily speaks up for the first time. "Are you sure Reid? I wasn't planning on doing much, you could always come to my place." When the only response she gets is the sound of Reid's pen on paper, she turns and walks back to her desk giving JJ and Garcia a worried look before sitting down.

Garcia and JJ look back at each other, a look of determination on each of their faces. They split up and walk in different directions: JJ to Hotch's office and Garcia to her lair. JJ knocks on Hotch's door and after hearing a 'come in' response, she opens the door. Hotch is sitting in his chair behind his desk and Rossi is sitting in a chair in front of the desk. Both see the look on her face and both men pray it isn't a case.

"What's going on JJ?" Hotch says.

"Do you know any progress on the case Morgan is working on?" JJ asks quickly.

Taking a deep breath Hotch looks JJ in the eye and says, "I told Reid everything I know. Unfortunately there's nothing I can do. The investigation has been going well, but like all cases, it's going to take time. Trust me, I wish I could do something to get him home earlier but I have no legal rights to bring him back here. Unless something changes and the investigation wraps up faster than it's looking right now, I don't know when Morgan will be coming home. I'm sorry."

JJ runs a hand through her hair and sighs. "I figured that much. I just hate seeing Spence like this." She points out the window and Hotch and Rossi take a look out to the bullpen and look at Reid. His elbows are on the desk, one hand balled up in a fist and resting on his cheek, the other holding a pen and writing slower than he normally writes.

"Ugh, I wish there was something we could do for him," Rossi says as he watches Reid write, every now and then catching the young man wiping his eyes. "No one should be alone on Christmas. Didn't he and Morgan have plans before he left?" he asks facing JJ.

"They did but now Spence doesn't want to travel. Garcia and Emily offered to keep him company but he turned it down. He says he's fine, but it's clear he isn't." She takes a seat in the chair previously occupied by Rossi. "I'd offer to take him with Will, Henry and myself but I can't."

The three of them talk for a few more minutes and then JJ and Rossi walk out of Hotch's office and go to their own. They remain worried but know they can't do anything. Meanwhile, Garcia sits in her lair, working her magic. She may not be able to get her Chocolate God of Thunder home for Christmas for her Baby Boy, but she could make his holiday less lonely.

-CM-

Friday December 22

Reid walks into the office early, much earlier than he ever had before. Looking at the clock on the wall he sees it's only 6am; no one would be in for at least two and half hours. He would have just stayed at home in bed with Clooney, but he just couldn't take the quiet any longer and needed to get out of the house. Instead of going to his own desk he walks over to a door that's been closed for nearly two weeks: the door leading to Morgan's office. He turns the knob, opens the door and switches on the light, walking slowly in. He closes the door and goes to his desk and sits in Morgan's chair. Looking around his desk he sees photos of Morgan's family, new and old ones, but the one that catches his eye is of the two of them. It's their favorite photo of them together. Garcia had taken it the day they came out to the team.

They had met up at Rossi's mansion for a summer barbeque and swimming in the pool one day. They were sitting around the outdoor table under an umbrella, hamburgers and hot dogs and potato salad on their plates and various drinks in the cups. Morgan and Reid had sat next to each other, having decided earlier on that day they would come out to the team. After some laughing and talking among the group, Morgan looked at Reid and he nodded his head saying he was ready. Morgan cleared his throat, getting the attention of everyone around the table.

"I have something I'd like to say," Morgan began. After getting questionable looks he continues. "The past few months I've been with someone amazing. We have our differences, and we've had some fights but in the end…this person has been my rock. At times when I thought I'd fall apart or lose my cool, he's manage to get me calm and talk me through my emotions. It's been amazing, and I think it's time I come clean about who it is."

He sees his team smiling, especially Garcia, and decides on the best way to show them. Instead of saying his name, he grabs Reid's hand in one of his, using his other to turn Reid's chin towards him and planting a soft kiss on the younger man's lips. He could feel the love and happiness Reid passed through the kiss and he could only return it. They continued kissing until they saw a bright flash. They pulled away and saw Garcia had her camera in her hands, the largest smile either of them had seen on her face ever. They both knew she had snapped a photo of them, but instead of being annoyed at her they just looked at each other and can't stop smiling.

The reaction from the team couldn't have been more positive. Besides Garcia's obvious approval, JJ had a large smile on her face and quickly got up to hug both of them, saying how happy she was for them. Emily got up next to hug them while also saying "It's about time guys, I was wondering if you'd ever come out." Rossi and Hotch also approved and, after getting confirmation from both Reid and Morgan that this wouldn't affect their work performance, both men gave them hugs. This time Reid started the kiss and Garcia snapped another photo.

It was that photo, the one where Reid started the kiss, that was framed and on Derek's desk. The love they shared was seeable in the photo clearly: the way they both held each other during the kiss, the expression on their faces. Reid grabbed it off his desk and pulls it in towards his chest, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair. He misses Derek, more than anything, and the past few weeks without him have been some of the most challenging of his life.

When Derek had first told him about the case he was very apprehensive about it. Derek couldn't tell him much about it, but the one thing he could say is that it involved children, and Reid knew there was no talking him out of it. The day he left was hard on both of them, and Clooney. The dog could sense something wasn't right, and as Reid and Morgan tried to leave Clooney put up a fit, barking and chasing them and blocking the door. It took ten minutes but eventually they got out and to the airport. They spent ten minutes hugging and kissing each other, passing back promises of 'stay safe' and loving endearments such as 'I love you' and 'I'll miss you'. When they had to separate, Morgan had to pry Reid off him because the young man wouldn't let him go. Reid had let the tears he had been holding back fall as he watched his lover's plane leave the tarmac heading who knows where and returning who knows when.

Since then Reid had been trying to cope not seeing Morgan every second of every day or hearing his voice, but he was slowly falling apart. Some days he got by fine, and some days he just didn't want to get out of bed or eat or be around anyone. Lately his biggest problem was sleeping at night. He became so used to having Morgan by his side, his arms over him protectively, smelling his natural smell along with his body wash, that with him gone he just couldn't get his eyes to close or his mind to stop thinking the worst. The past three nights had been the worst, with Reid barley getting any sleep even with Clooney right by his side. If Reid had to guess he probably got a combination of 10 hours of sleep the past three days; not nearly enough to stay on top of all the paperwork they had been getting. His insomnia was definitely kicking his ass right now.

Reid could feel his eyes start to droop and eyed the couch that was in Derek's office. _Maybe I could close my eyes for a bit, get some more sleep before work starts, _he says to himself. He keeps the photo in his hands as he gets up from the chair and walks towards the light switches. Normally the dark scared Reid, but being this tired he just didn't care. He turns off the light and sends the room into complete darkness, walking over to the couch. Reid kicks off his shoes and lies down on the couch, the picture placed back on his chest. It may not make sense to others, but Reid could swear that this motion made him feel like Morgan was right there with him. He closes his eyes and his thoughts fill with Derek until he stops thinking and falls into the deepest sleep he's had since Derek left.

-CM-

**So what do you all think so far? There is more coming, but I'd love your input. Are you confused about anything, is something not clear or making sense? Again, this idea came out of nowhere but I like it. Please leave your thoughts! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next part. Thank you all for the amazing reviews! It was originally going to be one long story but I found it best to break it into chapters instead. Enjoy this one everyone!**

-CM-

Friday December 22: Time- 8:30am

Garcia walked into the bullpen as she got off of the elevator, tired but happy with what she had managed to accomplish the night before. In her hands she holds two cups of coffee, one for herself and one for Reid with the plan being Garcia would give it to him and hopefully get him talking. She was hoping to make him just slightly happier than he had been the past couple of weeks. Today they were doing no work because it was the last day before starting their long and well deserved holiday break; today was a half day and just for socialization, drinking and eating and being with coworkers while not talking about the horrible things they saw on a daily basis. Garcia knew he wouldn't want to talk much, considering his man wouldn't be there for the first time ever, but she had hope he would talk to her at least.

When she got to his desk she was surprised to find him not there. His chair was still pushed in, computer off, his bag wasn't alongside his desk and there were some files left in his 'outbox'. She looked around to see if she could spot him but had no luck and started to worry. Reid was never late; if anything the kid was always here before anyone besides Hotch. Garcia walks back towards the elevators and waits there so she could see when he came up. The doors opened and Emily and JJ stepped out but no Reid. Emily sees the extra cup of coffee in her hand and says, "That extra coffee for you, Garcia, or for someone else? You look like you didn't get enough sleep."

The ladies walk back into the bullpen. "I am tired but I was here late working on something for our sad man. The coffee is for him; I figured since the party is today and he won't be in the mood to socialize that this would make him feel better. I haven't seen him yet though; did you see him coming in at all?" 

JJ shakes her head along with Emily. "His train is probably running late," JJ says. "He may hate parties but he wouldn't miss out on work because of it. He'll be here soon, just wait."

The ladies gathered around the many tables that held a variety of food, grabbing what they wanted and sat down at a table Hotch and Rossi had managed to snag. They sat there talking to each other and eating, but as time passed Reid still hadn't shown up and Garcia was getting worried. She snuck away from them, saying she had to use the bathroom, but instead went into her lair. She back tracked the video surveillance a few hours and was shocked to see that Reid had arrived much earlier than anyone else. She saw him get off on their floor but then lost where he went; however, when she switched from one camera angle to the next she saw exactly where he went to. Getting up off her chair she walks back into the bullpen and towards her team.

"He's still not here?" she calls as she gets closer.

JJ shakes her head. "No. I was just about to call him and see where he is."

Shaking her head and walking away Garcia calls, "Don't bother, I know where he is." She doesn't have to look behind her to know everyone is following her.

When she and the team reach the door leading to Morgan's office, Garcia quietly grabs the door knob, twists it slowly and pushes the door open. Everyone looks around at first, not seeing anything out of place, but when they follow Garcia's gaze they spot him. Reid is sound asleep on the couch, his back pushed into the cushions, one arm under his head acting as a pillow, his other arm around his chest holding something close. Quietly they walk in, trying not to wake the man, and get closer. It's then they see the dark circles under his eyes and his disheveled hair and clothes. Everyone, minus Garcia, walks back slowly towards the door; meanwhile, Garcia grabs a blanket and gently throws it along Reid's thin but long frame and tucks him in. She steals a quick glance at what he's clutching so tightly before following everyone else out of the room and back to the party.

When they sit back at their table Hotch is the first to speak. "How'd you know he was in there?"

Shrugging her shoulders she says, "I hacked into the security footage and saw him come in at 6am this morning. Even if I hadn't I would have checked there anyway; he misses Morgan. I don't think he's been sleeping much; did you see the circles? Not only does he miss Derek but his insomnia is bad too. I'm surprised he made it here safely."

The team was quiet, silently munching on their food for a while until Emily spoke up. "So what do we do?"

"For now we let him sleep," Hotch says without looking up from his food. "We only have a few hours left. After mostly everyone has left we'll wake him and one of us will drive him back to the apartment."

"Actually, Sir, we won't need to," Garcia says with a smirk on her face. "Someone else will be here to pick him up."

"What did you do, Garcia?" JJ asks questionably.

"Just a little something for our boy who's missing his man. I may not have been able to bring him home but I got the next best thing."

The team just shakes their heads and they resume eating and talking amongst each other and their coworkers. Time flies and before they knew it, it was quitting time. No one noticed when Garcia grabbed an extra plate of food or slipped out early to meet someone at the elevator and walk to Derek's office.

-CM-

Reid groaned quietly when he felt someone shaking his shoulder. He didn't want to get up; he had been having the most amazing dream ever: one where Derek had made it home for Christmas. When the shaking wouldn't stop he sighed and opened his groggy eyes, keeping his one hand close to his chest, holding tightly to the photo. Once his vision cleared he was surprised to see who was above him.

"Fran?" he asks yawning slightly. Placing the photo down carefully he rubs his eyes with his hands. "What are you doing here?"

Fran sits on the couch next to Reid when he places his feet on the floor. "I came down here to be with the man who makes my son extremely happy for the holidays when he can't be here himself." When Reid looks confused she filled him in. "Penelope called me yesterday evening and explained to me what was going on. How Derek is on a case and wouldn't be home, how you didn't feel like traveling all the way to Chicago without him. Penelope helped me get a plane ticket for early this morning." Grabbing his hands she looks him in the eye and she says, "Spencer, you and I both know Derek is heartbroken about not being able to be here with you. But he would want you to be happy and with people who love you. I understand your team has their own plans, but no one deserves to be alone on the holidays. Please Spencer, let me stay with you. Let me throw you the best Christmas I possibly can and make you as happy as I can. It's what you need, what I want to do and it's what Derek would want if he could be here."

Reid, unable to say anything at the moment, nods his head and leans into Fran, hugging her. When she hugs him back, he can't help the tears that fall and cries softly on her shoulder and she runs a hand up and down his back. Reid knows what she said was true: Derek would want him to be surrounded by people who love him and his mother would do all she could to make him have a happy holiday. Derek would also want him to have a good holiday since he didn't have many growing up because of his mother's illness.

After some time he pulls away and wipes his eyes with his hands. Fran passes him a tissue and he takes it gratefully. Blowing his nose as well he tosses the tissue in the garbage can and hugs Fran again. "Thank you," he says raspy, his voice rough from crying. "I'd love for you to stay with me. It's just not the same without him here; it's been weeks and I miss him so much. I know he's doing something good, but it sucks not having heard from him in weeks. I just want him home."

Rubbing his back again she sighs. "I know Spencer; it's not easy being away from someone you love. I'll be here for you, always. Now come on, let's head back to your apartment and get you back to bed. You look exhausted."

Reid frowns and pulls away so he can face Fran. "I can't leave yet; I still have work."

"Actually Baby Boy," Garcia says, startling Reid slightly. He hadn't seen her hiding. "It's 12:30 in the afternoon. We've been done for a half hour now. You can go home, get the sleep you need."

Reid glances down at his watch and sees she's right; he slept through the whole party. "Wow I didn't mean to do that. I just came in here to catch some sleep but had no intentions to miss the party." He picks up the photo he had put aside and glances at it, Fran and Garcia looking over his shoulder. Seeing them look he quickly says, "It made it seem like he was here, closer to me, when I held it. I know it's strange but-"

"No, it's not Spencer," Fran says, glancing down at the photo again. "I have never seen my Derek so happy before. You miss him and holding that close to you brings you the comfort he would provide you. I did the same thing for weeks after my husband was killed; it's perfectly normal and acceptable." She slips on his shoes for him and then grabs his hands and pulls him to his feet. "Let's get you home Spencer."

"I'll meet you by the elevator Fran. I just need to talk to Garcia for a moment."

Fran nods her head and after giving Garcia a big hug and a sincere 'thank you' she walks out the door, leaving Garcia and Reid alone. Reid walks over to her and surprises her with a big hug. After the initial shock she returns it.

"Thank you Garcia," Reid says, still holding on tight to her. "This is what I needed and it's what Derek would want for me. Thank you so much."

She pulls away and wipes away some stray tears. "It's no problem my Baby Boy. I just didn't want you to be alone for the holidays, and if Derek couldn't be home with you I figured his family would be the next best thing." She pats his cheek one more time before letting him go. "Have a happy holiday Reid. It's what he would want. Don't forget this," she says as he starts to walk away. He hands him the photograph he had been clutching in his sleep.

"Thank you again," he says before leaving Derek's office and meeting up with Fran at the elevator.

As she watches them walk into the elevator, Garcia takes one last look in the office before switching off the lights and closing the door. "My work here is done," she says before grabbing her things and leaving for her own magical holiday.

**Hope you enjoyed this, next chapter will be posted soon. Writing it as you read this!**


	3. Chapter 3

Friday December 22: Time- 1:30pm

When Reid and Fran got back to the apartment, Fran had instructed Reid to go to his room and lie down and try to catch up on some sleep. He tried to protest that he didn't need to, that it should be Fran getting some rest, but just like Derek, she wouldn't give in until he went back to his room to lie down. He closed the bedroom door but instead of crawling back to bed he decided to shower to see if that would wake him up. Placing the photo on his bed, Reid undressed and turned on the shower, letting the room get warm and steamy before he jumped in himself. If anyone asked him he would deny it, but he was still rather tired. The sleep he had gotten in Derek's office had been the most uninterrupted sleep he'd had in weeks but it just wasn't enough.

Finishing his shower and after getting dressed, Reid decided to get back into bed and attempt to sleep once again. After getting himself under the covers and in a comfortable position he grabs the photo and just stares at it for a while. He's shocked when he feels the bed dip slightly and something press against his legs. He looks away from the photo to see Clooney with him, curled up and sleeping soundly.

"At least someone can sleep around here," he says before lying down and pulling the covers over his head, the photo back in its position, right on his chest. Not much later, Reid slips into a deep sleep.

-CM-

Reid glances at the clock and is amazed when he sees it's 6:30 at night. He tries to think back to when was the last time he slept this long and determined it was before Derek had left. Stretching his back and arms he gets out of bed, Clooney following him, walking out to the main living area. He's amazed when he sees all the Christmas decorations up, the fake tree he and Morgan had put together with the ornaments and lights on and Christmas music playing from the TV. His nose picks up the smell of coffee and some other amazing smells so he walks towards the kitchen and is more surprised when he sees Fran busy in the kitchen cooking.

She glances up quickly and sees him there. "Well it's about time, Spencer. I was just thinking I was going to have to drag you out of bed, you've been sleeping so long. You do look refreshed though, so I don't mind. Coffee is fresh so help yourself. Dinner should be ready soon. I made my lasagna, the one you love so much."

Reid walks over to the coffee pot and pours himself a cup, putting in his normal amount of cream and sugar. He then takes a seat and just watches Fran finish cooking, amazed at what she had accomplished in such a short amount of time. When she places a plate in front of him a few minutes later he thanks her and they start eating in silence, Clooney lying by their feet and the music playing in the background. After some time, Fran asks, "Spencer, why didn't you decorate the apartment? Was it because Derek isn't here?"

Placing his fork down and wiping his mouth with his napkin, he thinks on how to word his thoughts. "It was part of it," he begins. "It's something we would do together. We would spend one weekend we weren't working and do everything: the tree, the inside of the house, the outside. When he was assigned the case, I told him I would wait for him to decorate but as time went on it was just something I didn't want to do alone. It hurt even more when Hotch told me it was looking like he wouldn't make it home for Christmas and maybe not even New Years. After that I just didn't care, it was like the spark just blew out of me. Everything was down from the attic but another part of me felt like I was betraying my promise to him; I felt that if I decorated without him that he would feel betrayed and hate me. That's the last thing I want for him to feel after being gone for so long." He stops there, feeling the tears in his eyes but refusing to let them fall.

Fran gets up from her chair and cups Reid's face in her hands. She wipes away a tear that managed to escape from his eye. "Listen to me Spencer, and listen to me carefully," she begins. When Reid makes eye contact she continues. "Derek loves you and that love will never stop. Even if he did come home to a house decorated the last thing on his mind would to be angry at you; instead he would be thrilled and overwhelmed to see you again. He wouldn't be angry at you for decorating the house; he would be thrilled that you surprised him with how well you did it. He loves you with all his heart. You are the only thing he sees when he's in the same room as you. He could never be angry at you. Do you understand? He just wants you to be happy. That's all he ever wants."

Reid smiles slightly and shakes his head before leaning into Fran and giving her a hug. She places her arms around him and holds him as he cries again softly against her shoulder. Spencer had practically become her own son since Derek had told her they were dating and it hurt to see him this upset and not do anything but provide him words of comfort and love. Fran missed Derek too as she hadn't seen him the last time they came up to Chicago, nearly five months ago, but she knew it was the parental side of her that was missing him; while Derek would always be her baby she had gotten used to him not being at home anymore unlike Spencer. The day Derek told his mom that he was in a relationship with Spencer was the day he moved into Derek's apartment; for almost three years now they had shared a bed together, slept tightly embraced in each other's arms, hearing one another's breathing and heart beat to help them fall asleep. Fran understood perfectly well why Spencer looked so tired, lost and unhappy because they were feelings she had right after her husband was killed all those years ago.

Lost in her thoughts she's shocked when Spencer pulls away from the hold and gives her a tissue while he grabs one for himself. Fran pats her cheek and is surprised to find it wet with her own tears. She smiles at him as she takes it and wipes her eyes as does Spencer. They remain quiet for some time, each lost in their own thoughts once again, until Clooney whines, sitting by his empty food bowl. Spencer gets up, grabs his bowl and fills it with dry food before placing half a can of wet food and places it back down on the floor where Clooney attacks it.

Laughing Spencer sits back down as Fran runs over to the oven and pulls out the lasagna. She cuts a portion for herself and for Spencer, places it on the plates and brings it over to him and they sit quietly eating. Once done it's Spencer who cleans up after telling Fran to go sit on the couch and relax but she stays and towel dries all the dishes and shortly after they both find themselves sitting on the couch.

"Is there anything you need to get done in the next few days Spencer? Shopping for anyone, food shopping?" Fran asks as they watch the news.

His eyes look like they're about to pop out when she asks him that. "I, uh, haven't done any type of shopping at all. With Derek gone it just wasn't on the top of my to-do list. Trying to keep myself together and not break down every day at work was."

Not responding to the last comment she places a hand on his shoulder. "Well then it looks like the next two days we'll be busy. We'll hit the mall tomorrow so you can do the shopping you need to get done and we'll hit the supermarket too. I'm throwing you a Morgan-style Christmas Eve dinner and do everything I used to do when Derek and his sisters were younger. But right now, I want you to go lie in bed and relax. Read a book, take a bath, whatever it takes for you to settle down and get ready to sleep. It's going to be a long few days and you'll need your energy."

Spencer looks at her with the largest smile he's had on his face in a long time. "Thank you Fran, that means a lot to me and to Derek if he were here. Make yourself comfortable in the guest room and help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I'll see you in the morning." He places a small kiss on her cheek and heads off to his bedroom, Clooney following right behind him. After brushing his teeth he gets underneath the covers and once he's settled Clooney jumps on and lies right beside him. Reid pets him in a soothing fashion and before he knows it he's sound asleep.

-CM-

December 24: Time- 6:30pm

Spencer found himself sitting down at the dinner table with a feast surrounding him, Fran placing the last bit of food down on the table before sitting down herself. She had kept her promise and yesterday they went to the mall so Spencer could get his shopping done and afterwards headed to the supermarket to pick up some food for tonight and tomorrow. Now sitting in front of him was enough food to feed everyone on the floor of his work: roast beef, potatoes, corn, beets, biscuits, gravy, green beans and multiple items for dessert. He had argued with her that he wouldn't be able to eat all of that and that she didn't need to make so much but she had been adamant about getting more meat on his bones. They sat together and ate and Fran shared stories with him that almost made him cry from laughing so hard. Fran was just happy that she was making Spencer happy, after all that was her main goal of her coming down.

After they finished eating they washed the dishes together and after putting them away they found themselves on the couch once again. With no room for dessert Spencer made hot chocolate for himself and Fran and they sipped it quietly as they watched Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown! When the movie was over she glanced at Spencer and saw him nearly asleep, his eyelids half open and she could see he was trying to stay awake. Glancing at clock and shocked to see how late it was, she shook his shoulder slightly to get his attention. Spencer snapped awake at the sensation and looked to see Fran right beside him.

He sat up rubbing his eyes, trying to get the sleep sensation out. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you Fran."

Shaking her head she says, "No, it's perfectly fine dear. There's one more thing I wanted to do with you tonight before we go to bed. It's something I did with Derek and his sisters when they were younger and I wanted to do it for you." She pulls out a book from underneath the sofa cushion and holds it up. "Has anyone ever read this to you?"

He grabs the book to see what it is and recognizes it immediately. "I read it to Henry all the time whenever I would babysit him around this time of year…but no, no one has ever read it to me before. With my mother's sickness we never celebrated holidays; she read to me but never any holiday books."

Smiling and grabbing a blanket from behind her she places it over Reid and says, "Well then, can I read it to you? I haven't read this book to someone in years and it always made Derek happy." She smiles again when Reid nods his head and settles into the couch with the blanket wrapped tightly around himself. Fran leans back and opens the book and begins. "'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…"

When Fran finished the book twenty minutes later she closes the book and looks to her left, shocked to see Spencer peacefully asleep on the couch, curled into a small ball. She gently gets off the couch and leans over his face, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. She lets Clooney out one final time before locking the door, turning off the lights and heading towards her room. She brushes her teeth and lies down in bed, wishing with all her might that maybe, just maybe, Derek would be home sooner than predicted. She falls asleep with visions and dreams of past Christmases with her family.

-CM-

December 25: Time- 7am

A light snowfall continues falling as Derek drives towards him home, where his Pretty Boy was waiting for him. He hadn't called to let him know, he wanted it to be a surprise, a good Christmas gift for him. Derek couldn't get it out of his head that he was heading home and not to another location to meet with someone who was a part of the child traffic ring he had been investigating for nearly three weeks. The case had been moving slowly for a while but after catching a major break it went by quickly and it had wrapped up late last night. He grabbed the first flight he could home. He missed his man and just wanted to see him, hear his voice, hug him and hold him again.

Pulling into the driveway he sees lights coming from inside and is slightly surprised. Morgan had known the detective he was working with was keeping in touch with Hotch, who would then transfer the information to Reid, and was surprised to see the tree up and lit as he walked into his home. Looking around he saw not only was the tree up but so was every other decoration he and Reid had. He closed the door quietly, but not quietly enough to stop Clooney from waking up and running to him. Morgan was only grateful that he hadn't started barking because as he was petting him he saw his Pretty Boy sound asleep on the couch, blanket tightly around him and curled up in a ball.

He walks closer to him and sees the dark circles that are under his eyes and knows he hasn't been sleeping well, just like he had since that first night they were apart. That first night away from him had been horrible, with him only getting about five restless hours of sleep. Each night had been just as bad, him missing hearing his Pretty Boy's heart beat and breathing and having him curled into his side. He couldn't wait for tonight when he could wrap his arms tightly around his man.

Looking on the table he sees a book and not one of Reid's but it's one he recognizes from his childhood. Picking it up he sees it's actually his mother's copy of the book, the wear and tear the book shows along with his initials incased inside the cover, only confirms that his mom is here. Taking a peak at the clock on the wall he sees she'll be up soon, always being an early riser, and decides to start making breakfast.

A half hour later as Morgan is watching the bacon and placing the last pancake on a try he hears footsteps and know him mom is awake. He keeps his back turned as he hears him come closer and can only smile when he hears her gasp and stop walking. Turning around he smiles at the expression she has on her face and walks towards her.

"Hey mama," he says as he embraces her in a hug. After the initial shock she closes her arms around him and returns the embrace tightly. They stay that way for a while until Derek has to check on the bacon. After taking the bacon off the pan they each grab a cup of coffee and take a seat at the table.

"How…how are you home? Spencer said…" she was too flabbergasted to say anything else.

Smirking slightly Derek answers, "I didn't think I would be. For a while the case was going slowly but we caught a major break two days ago. After the paperwork got finished I got the first flight I could out of there and raced home. I didn't want him to be alone any longer but it looks like I didn't have to worry about that though. How'd you know I wasn't here?"

"Garcia called me and told me so I took a plane out here. I've been here since the 22nd. He's been missing you; he'll be so excited to see you again."

Laughing slightly, Morgan looks out to the couch and sees Reid hasn't moved at all since he came home. "If he ever gets up. I'm surprised he didn't wake up the moment the coffee started brewing; that always gets him up." After taking a sip of his coffee he adds in, "He must be really tired."

"He hasn't been sleeping Derek. When I got in I meet Garcia at your work and he was sound asleep on the couch in your office, a picture of you and him together tightly to his chest. Then when we got home he went right to bed and fell asleep for hours. He misses his cuddle bug, I'm assuming," she smirks, looking at her son.

A large smile appearing on his face he cheeks flush as he says, "Yea, I missed him too. It was hard being away from him all this time. I wanted to surprise him so I didn't call him when I landed. Should I wake him?"

Thinking to herself for a moment she shakes her head. "Let him sleep. I have an idea."

-CM-

Spencer wakes up slowly, not remembering where he is. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes he takes in his surroundings and sees his in the living room. The last memories of the night come to the front of his mind and he realizes he must have fallen asleep while Morgan's mom had been reading to him. Getting up he walks into the kitchen and sees her reading the morning paper, an empty plate and a full cup of coffee right beside her. He grabs a cup, pours himself a cup and grabs some pancakes and bacon from the plates sitting on the counter.

"Morning," he says taking a seat across from her. He takes a few bites and after a while he says, "This is really good. Thank you, but you didn't have to make breakfast. I would have been fine with some cereal or something like that."

Looking up quickly she says, "It wasn't me who made it," before looking back down at the paper.

Doing a double take, Reid looks at her and knows she's telling the truth. Swallowing he stammers out, "If…if you didn't make it then…then who did?"

Shrugging her shoulders she says, "I'm not sure. Oh, a package came for you early this morning. It's by the tree. Why don't you go see what it is while I clean up in here?" She gets up with a smile on her face.

Not being able to read her face, he gets up with his coffee in hand and makes his way out to the living room. With his other hand he rubs his tired eyes, still feeling the sleepiness behind them. While he had slept pretty well considering he slept on the couch, he still wouldn't sleep soundly until he knew something about Derek. His dreams all night were filled with him: things they had done with each other, things they wanted to do together, and the future they planned on having with each other. He lifted his cup to his mouth, closing his eyes and after taking his sip and swallowing he opens his eyes and he stops moving.

Standing there by the tree stood Derek Morgan. Dressed in a tight blue shirt and dark jeans, he stands with his arms across his chest and a large smile on his face. His eyes show the happiness and excitement and joy at seeing his Pretty Boy again but all Reid can do at the moment is stand there and stare. He tries to calm his pounding heart and calm his breathing but all he can do is stare at Derek. Derek, the man he hasn't seen in almost three week, the man he never wanted to be separated from again. The man he was deeply in love with. As the shock wears off he starts to walk towards him and stammers out, "…D-Derek?"

As Derek walks closer he sees the unshed tears in his eyes. He lifts a hand to his face and strokes his cheek, wiping away a tear that leaked out. Reid leans into the touch and when Morgan says, "Yea, it's me Pretty Boy", he pounces on Morgan in the tightest embrace Reid had ever given anyone. They stand there, hugging each other and shedding tears, stealing kisses when possible, Morgan running his hand through Reid's hair, Reid placing a tight grip on Morgan's shoulders. How long they stay in that embrace is unknown to both of them but one thing is sure: neither wants to be the first one to let go. They would be content staying in that position forever if possible.

It's Clooney who eventually separates them, demanding attention from the man who hasn't been home in so long. While Morgan pets Clooney, he keeps one hand on Spencer while Spencer never leaves his side. After Clooney has gotten enough attention, the two of them sit closely on the couch, Spencer placing his head on Morgan's shoulder.

"How are you home so soon?" he asks looking up at Derek's face, right into his eyes. "Hotch told me two days ago you wouldn't be home for another week or two."

Placing a kiss on his cheek he smiles and says, "We caught a break two days ago and wrapped up the case. I told you I would do anything to get home to you as fast I could, so I stormed through the paperwork and got home this morning. I would have called you but I wanted to surprise you. Make it the best Christmas ever for you."

Sniffling Reid says, "You have. You're home, safe and sound and that's all that matters to me. It is the best Christmas ever." He places a gentle but loving kiss on his lips and he hums when he feels Derek's tongue tracing the area around his lips. He whines when Derek pulls away but stops when the man says, "Well I'm about to make it an even greater Christmas then."

He opens his eyes and sees a small dark box in Derek's hand. With the other hand Derek grabs Reid's hand and looks him in the eye.

"Spencer…you have made my life amazing the past three years, and longer if I'm honest. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You've made me laugh to the point that I'm crying and my gut hurts the next day. You make me smile like no one else has even been able to before. You make me feel confident in myself, and you are my rock when I feel like I'm about to fall apart. Having you by my side makes me feel invincible, like nothing can stop me. I can't thank you enough for that, and for the memories we've had together. I want you to be mine for the rest of our lives." Derek opens the box as he slips off the couch onto one knee, and Spencer looks down at a ring. "Spencer Reid, will you be mine until the day I die? Will you marry me?"

Unable to form words at the moment, he shakes his head up and down countless times and eventually stammers out, "Yes…yes, of course I'll marry you." He gets down on the floor and wraps his arms around Derek and kissing him at the same time. After they pull apart Morgan takes the ring out of the box.

"I had it engraved. See it there?" He points to some marking on the outside of the ring. As Reid looks closer he sees a date but it's not one he has any memories of. When Derek sees him thinking, he places a hand on his chin and says, "The date on there is when I first realized I was in love with you. We may have been dating for three years…but I've loved you for so much longer. You have been my world."

They kiss again, this one more filled with passion and love then of desire and happiness. How long they stay in the kiss is once again unknown but it's Morgan's mom cheering and crying that draw them apart.

She comes closer and exclaims, "My baby is engaged! Oh, I am so happy for you!" Mother and son embrace in a hug before Fran claims Spencer in her arms again. "Welcome to the Morgan family, Spencer. We're glad to have you."

Spencer hugs her back and says a quick thank you before Derek claims him again. Fran takes a picture of them together and Reid takes a picture of the ring and sends it JJ, Garcia and Emily with the caption 'best Christmas gift ever!' The responses come back quickly, all three of them happy for him and demanding they meet up before break ends to hear everything. For the rest of the day it's Spencer, Derek, Fran and Clooney opening gifts, eating dinner and watching unlimited Christmas movies. All throughout the day Derek and Spencer did not separate, staying close to one another. Kisses were exchanged along with loving endearments of 'I love you' passed between them. Reid couldn't stop playing with the ring and Derek always smiled when he saw that action. When it came time for bed the two of them turned in early, both still exhausted from not sleeping during their time apart. They dressed quickly and settled into bed, clinging tightly to each other, planting kisses on one another's lips, cheek, forehead, neck, anywhere they could be placed. They fall asleep with Spencer's head on Derek's bare chest so he could hear his breathing and heart beat. Derek runs a hand through his hair and watches him fall asleep. After some time he, too, falls asleep knowing he would have his Pretty Boy for the rest of his life.

-CM-

**Hope you guys enjoyed this! Thanks for reading!**


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